US help.

[fiopsy]

Hi everyone!

Need some advice on the Airtrain system. I understand that payment is only required upon exit from the Airtrain at Jamaica Station. At this point, the metrocard will need to be purchased in order to pay the Airtrain fare? Can I also buy the 7-day unlimited ride metrocard before the exit as I plan to use it for the subway transfer into Manhattan area?

Also, for transfers between different subway lines at the same location eg Times Sq 42 St, do I have to tap out and tap in again?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Telur17]

Hi everyone!

Need some advice on the Airtrain system. I understand that payment is only required upon exit from the Airtrain at Jamaica Station. At this point, the metrocard will need to be purchased in order to pay the Airtrain fare? Can I also buy the 7-day unlimited ride metrocard before the exit as I plan to use it for the subway transfer into Manhattan area?

Also, for transfers between different subway lines at the same location eg Times Sq 42 St, do I have to tap out and tap in again?

Thanks in advance!

I've never taken the airtrain so can't advice on that.

For transfers, most stations do not require you to tap in and out. There are, however, a very few exceptions that do require you to do so although you are unlikely to be charged as there is a free transfer between stations. Most subways are quite good with signage so just follow the arrows.

 

[critical888]

In usa the network bands for tmobile and at&t

2G band : 850,1900MHZ (at&t and tmobile)
3G band : 850,1900 MHZ (at&t) 1700+2100 (AWS),1900 (tmobile)
(UTMS,HSPA+)
4G LTE : 700,850,1700+2100(AWS),1900 (AT&T)
1700+2100 (AWS), 1900, 700 (TMOBILE)

I will not be touching on SPRINT or VERIZON as they are all CDMA network which our GSM phone do not support.

Usually the plans comes with unlimited text(SMS) and unlimited calling in USA

WIFI calling is currently supported for tmobile, you just have to register a tmobile account, key in your e-911 address and activate wifi calling. Why is this necessary? Say you are in somewhere with wifi, for example your hotel room where the network is bad. You can make use fully of this. As a tmobile customer, you are also entitled to use in AIR , usually on USA planes, domestic flights, you can connect to the in flight wifi and send+recieve SMS freely.
at&t is also implementing wifi calling as well but i have no experience in using it.

SIMPLE CHOICE Prepaid plans Tmobile sim is able to use their allocated data at full speed at certain locations in MEXICO and CANADA as well.

You can get your USA sim card in singapore before even going USA with your USA phone number to give to your hotel/friends/driver etc. after activation. You can check it out at hardwarezone travel bazzar (http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/travel-accommodation-89/)

 

[patryn33]

If one is using ios9 - wifi calling over Att is possible

 

[spicyboy]

I am heading to SFO and LAX in October. May I know where can I get a prepaid tourist Data SIMcard?

 

[BoOOoM]

Hi folks,

I'll be going to Stanford for a month late October this year, any places that I should not miss in SF and surrounding area? After which, I'll spend some about 2 weeks in LA and San Diego. Definitely going Disneyland and some outlets... Any other suggestions? Transport might be an issue as I'm most likely travelling alone and will to minimise car renting sadly.

 

[Shiny Things]

Hi folks,

I'll be going to Stanford for a month late October this year, any places that I should not miss in SF and surrounding area?

Nice! Silicon Valley can be a bit dreary sometimes - it's got a glamorous reputation but honestly it's mostly suburbs and office parks - so you'll want to get yourself a Caltrain pass and get up to San Francisco as much as you can.

In SF, I'll skip all the obvious touristy stuff (pier 39, Lombard Street, you know the stuff) and give you a few more interesting options.

Rent a bike and go cycling around the city. You can ride all the way from the Caltrain station around to the Golden Gate Bridge (make sure you're in good shape for the 200-foot climb to the bridge deck, though); and then you can head all the way down to Baker Beach (a beloved SF locals' hangout), Ocean Beach, and Golden Gate Park.

In Golden Gate Park, there's the Academy of Sciences (which is a terrific museum); the De Young museum which has a terrific modern art collection; and the Conservatory of Flowers, which is a really lovely botanical space.

Other than that, there's Valencia Street which is full of cool shops and bars; there's the Castro which is packed with cool restaurants and bars as well (it's gay, but it's super friendly even if you're not gay); there's Coit Tower which has zillion-dollar views over the city... there's so much to do.

Get yourself over to Berkeley as well! It's a cool college town, half an hour from SF on BART, with great walks around the UC Berkeley campus and tons of cool little stores.

Down around the Valley itself, it's worth heading down to Cupertino: the Apple Employee Store (don't worry, you can go in there) is the only place in the world where you can buy Apple-branded swag (mugs, T-shirts, keyrings, things like that). There's fantastic Asian food down there as well: if you're jonesing for some local food, there's a little place called Layang Layang out in Cupertino that does good, cheap Malaysian food.

I am heading to SFO and LAX in October. May I know where can I get a prepaid tourist Data SIMcard?

If you're in San Francisco proper, there's an AT&T and a T-Mobile store right next to each other on the corner of 3rd and Market streets, right near Montgomery BART station. Try the ATT store first; if they won't hook you up, T-Mobile will.

 

[BoOOoM]

Cool! Thanks!! Will need to plan out my weekends there. Exciting!

 

[patryn33]

I was in apple Cupertino in August 2015, the flag ship Apple Store is close for major Reno for awhile. I hope it's open when you go there.
Not a apple fan boy not going there for my apple stuff that can only be bought there.

Love sunny bowl for Korean food. Bon cho chicken great place love their spicy wings

 

[dilphinus]

Sorry that I didn't read thru the entire thread. What's a good data plan card for using across most states? Am planning New York, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, Washington and Washington DC. Usage for approximately 2 to 6 months depending on how the trip goes.

 

[paul02]

Sorry that I didn't read thru the entire thread. What's a good data plan card for using across most states? Am planning New York, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, Washington and Washington DC. Usage for approximately 2 to 6 months depending on how the trip goes.

2-6 months

 

[critical888]

did some writeup here for people not sure if your phone support in usa

LINK : http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/95859382-post2805.html

 

[patryn33]

Sorry that I didn't read thru the entire thread. What's a good data plan card for using across most states? Am planning New York, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, Washington and Washington DC. Usage for approximately 2 to 6 months depending on how the trip goes.

Travel visa isn't 90 days only? B visa 6 mths but how you intend to get B visa? Need relatives sponsorship iirc

 

[invisible999]

What's a good data plan card for using across most states? Am planning New York, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, Washington and Washington DC. Usage for approximately 2 to 6 months depending on how the trip goes.

Answering the question asked first - get H2O Wireless with 1G data unlimited calls for $40/mo. No contract required, works on ATT network.

Now other stuff:

(looking at the geography mentioned) Either you got travelling salesman's job with the appropriate visa, or you are athlete/clergyman/circus performer/university lecturer with the appropriate work visa

Otherwise you can't stay in US >90 days for B1/B2 (tourist/business) visa and you can't earn money in US while on that visa. Longer validity visas are issued for work (any work) or permanent residents only.

Or it could be that you are US citizen never lived in US and going back - but that's quite remote possibility.

 

[liemsc]

Nice! Silicon Valley can be a bit dreary sometimes - it's got a glamorous reputation but honestly it's mostly suburbs and office parks - so you'll want to get yourself a Caltrain pass and get up to San Francisco as much as you can.

Down around the Valley itself, it's worth heading down to Cupertino: the Apple Employee Store (don't worry, you can go in there) is the only place in the world where you can buy Apple-branded swag (mugs, T-shirts, keyrings, things like that). There's fantastic Asian food down there as well: if you're jonesing for some local food, there's a little place called Layang Layang out in Cupertino that does good, cheap Malaysian food.

Are we actually able to go into the Google/Facebook/Apple/HP/etc complex to look around? (I guess, at max, a small section that they open to public?)
What about the universities (like Stanford, Berkeley, etc) - can we go in to look around?

 

[invisible999]

Are we actually able to go into the Google/Facebook/Apple/HP/etc complex to look around? (I guess, at max, a small section that they open to public?)

Sure, why not? You can spend whole day at GooglePlex. But better to find someone who can take and show you around, take inside and have lunch at one of their places.

What about the universities (like Stanford, Berkeley, etc) - can we go in to look around?

Moreover, you can go and attend lecture, if you'd like. And again, you can spend whole day around Stanford campus.

 

[liemsc]

Sure, why not? You can spend whole day at GooglePlex. But better to find someone who can take and show you around, take inside and have lunch at one of their places.

Ok.. As non employees, typically what can we do/see there (without accompaniment of an employee)?

Moreover, you can go and attend lecture, if you'd like. And again, you can spend whole day around Stanford campus.

Ha, really? Can't imagine members of public just anyhow joining lectures Anything particularly interesting to check out there?

 

[patryn33]

Ha, really? Can't imagine members of public just anyhow joining lectures Anything particularly interesting to check out there?

Small lecture prof can say something
Big lecture of 100++ sit behind easy

 

[invisible999]

Ok.. As non employees, typically what can we do/see there (without accompaniment of an employee)?

Your can take picture in front of Android statues representing each release (ice cream sandwich, kit-kat, marshmallow, etc), there is copy of T-rex from Chicago Natural museum, take Gogbikes and go from one building to another... etc. If you are luck enough, you might spot Sergei or Larry.

Ha, really? Can't imagine members of public just anyhow joining lectures Anything particularly interesting to check out there?

How do I know what is your interest? You for example can go and attend lecture of Nobel Prize winner professor. Or former politicians, like Condi Rice.

 

[liemsc]

How do I know what is your interest? You for example can go and attend lecture of Nobel Prize winner professor. Or former politicians, like Condi Rice.

Ok, what I mean is, whether there's any interesting building, or maybe a unique bookshop, cool exhibits, or museum, etc.. stuff like that. I'm not going for any lectures